Jewels of Laos Adventure – 20 Days

After breakfast, explore Luang Prabang’s cultural gems. Visit the Royal Palace Museum, housing royal artifacts, and Wat Xieng Thong, a masterpiece of Laotian architecture with sweeping roofs. Discover Laos’ ethnic diversity at the Arts and Ethnology Centre. Tour the weaving villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek, then visit Wat Mai. Climb Mount Phousi for a gilded stupa and sunset views over the Mekong River. Conclude at the Night Market for local crafts. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Journey to the Living Land Farm (join-in tour) in Luang Prabang’s countryside, surrounded by rice paddies and mountains. Engage in rice farming, bamboo weaving, blacksmithing, and sugarcane processing, and tour an organic herb garden used in traditional medicine. Enjoy a local lunch with a farming family. In the afternoon, visit Khouang Si Waterfall, hiking through the national park and swimming in turquoise pools. Stop at Ban Ouay, Ban Ou, and Ban Thapene villages and the Asian Bear Rescue Center. Return to your hotel for leisure time. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Depart at 8:00–8:30 AM for the Elephant Village Camp (join-in tour). Learn about elephant care, feed them, and explore the camp’s hospital, museum, and dung paper-making area. Experience being a mahout, communicating with your elephant. Trek 2 km along the Trail of Falls, enjoying a picnic lunch in the forest. Continue 1 km to Tad Sae Waterfall, where you can swim or relax. Return to Luang Prabang by 3:00–4:00 PM and spend the evening at leisure. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Board a join-in Mekong River cruise to Pakbeng, savoring the tranquil countryside. Stop at Pak Ou Caves, a sacred site with thousands of Buddha statues. Visit Ban Xanghai village to observe rice wine production. Lunch is served on board. Arrive in Pakbeng, a riverside town, check into your hotel, and relax. Overnight in Pakbeng.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit Pakbeng’s local market, where hill tribe vendors trade goods. Continue the join-in Mekong cruise to Houeixay, near the Golden Triangle, enjoying serene riverbank views. Lunch is served on board. Arrive in Houeixay (afternoon), transfer to your hotel, and unwind. Overnight in Houeixay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Explore Houeixay at leisure in the morning. Transfer by private vehicle to Luang Namtha (3–4 hours), stopping at a hill tribe village en route. Check into your hotel and spend the afternoon relaxing or wandering the town. Overnight in Luang Namtha.
Meals: Breakfast

Drive to Ban Chaleunsouk, a Khmu village, to begin a full-day trek (8–10 km, join-in tour) in the Namtha National Protected Area. Accompanied by a village guide, cross streams and hike under a dense forest canopy. Enjoy a picnic lunch of traditional Lao foods amid birdsong. Visit a rice paddy field for photos, Lantern Village for bamboo pulp-making, and Ban Pieng Ngam for traditional cotton and silk weaving. Return to Luang Namtha and relax. Overnight in Luang Namtha.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Drive from Luang Namtha to Nong Khiaw (5–6 hours), stopping in Oudomxay to explore its local market and temples. Arrive in Nong Khiaw, check into your hotel, and enjoy the riverside town’s serene ambiance at leisure. Overnight in Nong Khiaw.
Meals: Breakfast

Embark on a half-day countryside trekking tour (join-in) in Nong Khiaw. Visit Tham Pha Thok, a historic cave, and trek to a viewpoint for stunning vistas of northern Laos’ rugged landscapes and villages. After the trek, drive to Luang Prabang (3–4 hours), check into your hotel, and relax. Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Meals: Breakfast

Drive 306 km to Xieng Khuang (6–7 hours), ascending mountains for breathtaking views. Visit the Plain of Jars, an Iron Age megalithic site with hundreds of stone jars scattered across a plateau. Explore Muang Khoun, the old capital, and nearby Hmong villages to learn about their culture and history. Check into your hotel and relax. Overnight in Xieng Khuang.
Meals: Breakfast

Visit Phonsavanh Central Market to see hill tribe vendors. Drive to Vang Vieng (5–6 hours), stopping at Tampa, an ancient site with a Buddha image, and Hmong villages. Marvel at the mountainous landscapes. In Vang Vieng, take a long-tail boat on the Nam Song River and visit a mulberry farm, tasting strawberry tea. Check into your hotel and unwind. Overnight in Vang Vieng.
Meals: Breakfast

Explore Tham Jang Cave, a historic limestone cave, before driving to Vientiane (2–3 hours). Check into your hotel and visit Wat Sisaket, the city’s oldest temple (1818), housing thousands of Buddha statues. Tour Wat Prakeo, a former royal monastery with the Emerald Buddha, and That Luang Stupa, Laos’ national symbol. Stop for photos at Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s Arc de Triomphe, and climb for city views. Return to your hotel for leisure time. Overnight in Vientiane.
Meals: Breakfast

Drive south along Route 13 to Khammouane (6–7 hours). Stop at Prabhat Ponsan, a revered stupa with an ancient Buddha footprint. After lunch (own expense), pause near Khoun Kham for scenic limestone karst views. Visit Ban Naphouak village and the Nam Hin Boun River, passing welcoming local communities. Check into your hotel in the late afternoon and relax. Overnight in Khammouane.
Meals: Breakfast

Boat upstream to Kong Lor village, then board a smaller boat to explore Kong Lor Cave, a 7-km-long limestone marvel rising up to 100m. After lunch (own expense), visit a secluded village beyond the cave. Return to Sala Hin Boun by boat, arriving at sunset. Spend the evening at leisure. Overnight in Khammouane.
Meals: Breakfast

Drive south to Pakse (6–7 hours), the gateway to southern Laos. Stop in Savannakhet for lunch (own expense) and to observe local life. Arrive in Pakse by mid-afternoon, check into your hotel, and explore the town at leisure. Overnight in Pakse.
Meals: Breakfast

Travel to Champassak to explore Wat Phu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and 10th-century Khmer temple predating Angkor Wat. Spend the morning admiring its dramatic ruins. Drive to Ban Hatxaikhoun and ferry across the Mekong to Don Khong, the largest island in the 4,000 Islands region. Check into your hotel and relax in this serene setting. Overnight on Khong Island.
Meals: Breakfast

Explore Ban Khone village, home to French colonial relics and remnants of Laos’ first railway. Travel by tuk-tuk to Liphi Falls, a stunning waterfall near the Cambodian border, with a chance to spot rare Irrawaddy dolphins at Ban Hang Khone. Drive to Khone Phapheng Waterfall, the world’s widest, and relax in its refreshing ambiance. Return to your hotel for leisure time. Overnight on Khong Island.
Meals: Breakfast

Depart Don Khong for Tadlo on the Bolaven Plateau, a cool highland known for coffee, tea, and waterfalls. Stop at plantations and admire cascading rivers. Visit Tad Lo Waterfall and the ethnic villages of Alak, Nge, and Katu. Return to Pakse in the evening, check into your hotel, and relax. Overnight in Pakse.
Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy free time in Pakse until your transfer to Pakse International Airport for your departure flight. Sok Dee! Safe travels!
Meals: Breakfast